Stall shower



R. J. DILLON STALL SHOWER Feb. 22, 1955 2 Shets-Sheet Filed Dec. 4, 1951 H07 WA TERINVENTOR.

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Feb. 22, DlLLON 2,702,390

STALL SHOWER Filed Dec. 4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent STALL SHOWER Robert J. Dillon, San Francisco, Calif.

Application December 4, 1951, Serial No. 259,811

7 Claims. (Cl. 4-146) The invention, in general, relates to systems for dis tributing water and more particularly relates to equipment for efiecting regulated division of water flow to a plurality of differently located outlets.

While my present improvement is entirely adaptable to a variety of commercial and industrial applications, I have especially devised the invention for application to shower baths, particularly showers separate and apart from bath tubs, such as stall showers, and I have accordingly illustrated the improvement and shall describe the same in that environment.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved stall shower which affords water distributing outlets at variable heights and within the immediate control of the shower user.

Another important object of my invention is to provide an improved stall shower of the indicated nature which 1s additionally characterized by dual control means affording regulation of water distribution from the intenor as well as the exterior of the shower.

A still further object of my present invention is to provide an improved stall shower of the aforementioned character which in addition to being operable with utmost facility by persons of all ages and degrees of aptitude or skill also insures complete safety to the shower user since likelihood of injury from hot water scalding or sudden chilling water applications is reduced to a minimum.

Other objects of the invention, together with some of the advantageous features thereof, will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as exemplified in a stall shower, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that I am not to be limited to the precise embodiment shown, nor to the precise arrangement of the various parts thereof, as my invention, as defined in the appended claims, may be embodied in a plurality and variety of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic perspective view of the supporting section for distribution pipes and dual control means of the preferred embodiment of my invention as exemplified in a stall shower.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged detail illustrating the mounting of a drain-pan in the base of the stall shower exemplification of the invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged corner detail of the connection or joint between the frame columns and base of the stall shower exemplification of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic plan view of supply and distribution lines and flow regulatory means employed in the stall shower exemplification of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a front perspective view of a stall shower exemplification of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the exemplification shown in 'Fig. 5 and taken on the line 66 thereof.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the dual control means and mounting therefor in the stall shower exemplification of the invention, this view being taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged, sectional elevational view of a pipe standard employed in the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but illustrating a modified type of pipe standard for the stall shower exemplifications.

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In its preferred form, the stall shower of my present invention preferably comprises a sectional, dismantable frame including a base, a plurality of columns remova'bly mounted in said base and serving to mount type standards having jet openings therein, a mid-section for supporting distribution pipes communicating with said pipe standards as well as control means for regulating water flow through said pipes to sectional portions of said pipe standards, a plurality of transparent panels removably mounted in said base and mid-section and defining three walls of the shower, and a hingedly mounted closure defining the fourth wall of the shower.

As particularly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings, I provide in the stall shower exemplification of the present invention a sectional, dismantable frame generally designated by the reference numeral 11 and consisting of a base 12, a mid-section unit 13, corner posts or columns 14, a plurality of transparent panels bounded by said base 12; said mid-section and said corner posts; and defining three walls of the shower, and designated generally by the reference numerals 16, 17 and 1'8. A closure 19, defining the fourth wall of the shower, when closed, is hingedly connected to one corner post by means of hinges 21 and is provided with handles 22, exteriorly and interiorly, of which but the exterior is shown, to facilitate opening and closing the shower to enter and leave the same. As shown in Fig. 2, the base 12 is formed with a recess 26 in the rim 27 thereof for receiving a depending projection 28 of a drain pan 29 extending over the upper surface 'of the base 12 and formed with'a drain outlet 31 therein consisting of a plurality of openings and communicating with a drain outlet, not shown, in the base 12 which communicates with a discharge pipe, also not shown. The drain pan 29 is curved in conformity to the curvature of the upper surface of the base 12 which is dished so that its lower point is at the drain outlet thereof, and the drain pan is fixedly secured in position by sealing the projection 28 thereof into the recess 26 in the rim 27 of the base. The channel recess 26 of base 12 also serves to removably receive certain of the transparent panels of the walls of the shower.

in Fig. 3 of the annexed drawings, I have illustrated one means for removably mounting the four corner columns 14 of the frame 11 in the base 12 thereof, and to this end 1 form on the bottom of the columns 14 narrow extensions 36 which are removably fitted into sockets 37 provided in base 12 at its four corners. The sockets 37 preferably are lined with rubber 38 or other waterproof material to seal the joints against leakage.

In accordance with my present improvement, the midsection unit 13 of the stall shower is specially constructed so as to serve a plurality of functions. Reference, in this connection, is made to Figs. l, 6 and 7 of the annexed drawings wherein it is shown that the top of the mid-section 13 is so formed as to provide a hand-rail 41 thereon which furnishes a convenient gripping element for the. user of the shower to grasp whenever desired to maintain his balance or to avoid falling. Moreover, the top as well as the bottom of the mid-section 13 is formed with vertically aligned channels 42 and 43 therein co-extensive with its length in order that the panels of the three walls of the shower may be removably mounted in p sition. In addition, the mid-section 13 is so fashioned a to provide a well 44 therein for the reception of water distribution pipes 46, 47, 48 and 49 all extending substantially the entire length of the mid-section unit and arranged in superposed parallel relationship, as shown particularly in the broken perspective view of Fig. 1.

The well 44 of mid-section unit 13 is made sufficiently large to accommodate a distribution valve body 51, a mixing chamber housing 52 and a main valve body 53 which conveniently are arranged in the relation to one another as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings, in juxtaposition within one wall length of mid-section 12, preferably in the wall length thereof forming a part of wall 18 of the shower adjacent to the door closure 19 thereof. As illustrated, mid-section 13 of the stall shower consists of an integral unit of three wall lengths arranged in right angle relationship to afford two side wall lengths forming parts of side walls 16 and 18 of the showerand 'one wall length forming part of the rear wall 17 ofthe stallshower.

In order to afford ready .and convenient assembly of the four pipe standards 99 of my improved stall shower, and to lend rigidity to the assembled frame, the inner wall .of the mid-section unit 13 is cut-away 'arcuately from top to bottom thereof at the junctures between the side wall'lengths and the rear wall length thereof, as well as'at the outer termini of the side wall lengths for removably engaging and supporting the pipe standards 99 in assembled and operative position. These cut away portions of the inner wall of mid-section 13 permit the establishment of communication by means of suitable lines, see Fig. 8, between the pipe standards 99 and the superposed water distribution pipes 46, 47, 48 and 49 housed within the mid-section unit '13. s

The mid-section 13 of the stall shower frame'll is removably supported in operative position by three panels of threeof the four walls of the frame. 'As particularlyfillustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, transparent panels '56, 57 and 58 are removably'fitted into the recess 26 of base 12 along the rear and two sides of the-frame, the lateral edges of lower side panel 56 being fitted into channels formed in "laterally extending portions of the adjacent frame columns 14; the lower rear transparent panel 57 being removably fitted at its lateral edges into channels formed in the laterally extending channels of the adjacent rear columns 14 of the frame, and the lateral edges of lower side transparent panel 58 being removably 'fitted into channels formed in laterally extending portions'of adjacent corner columns 14 of frame 11. The upper edges of the transparent panels 56, 5'7 and 58 fit'into the lower channel 43 in the bottom of midsection 13 and serve thereby to removably support such mid-section unit. After the mid-section unit 13 has been mounted in position, the upper transparent panels 66, 67 and 68,'forming parts of the three walls 16, 17' and 18'of the frame, can be assembled by seating the bottom edges of panels 66, 67 and 68 into the channel 4.2

in the top offmid section 13 with the side edges of panels 66, 67 and 68 fitting channels formed in lateral extensions of the adjacent corner posts or columns 14, see Fig. 6 of the drawings.

To complete the transparent paneling of the stall shower, the shower closure 19 is provided with an integral frame, generally designated by the reference numeral 71, consisting of side lengths'72 and 73, a central member 74 spanning thesides 72 and 73, and a'bottom member 76 likewise spanning .sides 72 and 73. "The inside faces of the sides 72 and 73 of closure frame 71 are channeled for receiving the lateral edges of lower and upper transparent closure panels 77 and 78. The central member 74 of closure frame 71 is channeled in its top and bottom for receiving the bottom edge' of panel 78 and the upper edge of lower panel 77, respectively, while the top of the bottom member 76 is channeled for removably receiving the bottom edge of lower closure panel. 77. All of the panel-receiving channels of .frame 11 aswell as closure frame 71 are suitably lined with rubber or other water-proof material, not shown, to insure water-tight joints. The inner surface of the central member '74 is also provided with a hand-rail, not shown, similar to the hand-rail 41 formed on mid-section 13'of frame 11.

In accordance with the invention, I provide dual control levers --exteriorly and 'interiorly of the stall shower in order that the shower usermay regulate not only the water distribution to the pipe standards 99 at the four corners of the shower but also can regulate the temperature of the supplied water. As shown particularly in Figs. 1 and '7 of the annexed drawings, a pair of ternperature control levers 81 and 82 are mounted so as to be accessible to the shower user on the exterior and interior, respectively, of the shower frame 11; such levers 81 'and 82 being fixedly secured upon the ends of a rotatably mounted shaft 83 journaled in bearings, not shown, secured to main valve body 53. Similarly, a pair of distributor-control levers 86'and 87 are mounted so as to be .accessible to the shower user on the exterior and interior, respectively, of the shower .frame 11; such levers .86wand 87 being fixedlysecured upon the ends of a rotatably mounted shaft 88'journaled in bearings 89, see Fig. 7 of the=dr'awings, which are secured .to 'thedistributor valve body :52.. Thus, the shower user may,

from the outside'jof thesshower,"rotate'distributor' valve .1

lever 86 to cause water to flow through distribution pipes 46 and 47 and out throughthe lower and middle sections, as hereinafter explained, of all pipe standards 99 assuming, of course, that the exterior main control lever 81 has been rotated to open the main supply valve. Thereafter, and with the door 19 open so that the shower user can reach within the shower and ascertain the temperature of the water spraying from the pipe standards 99, the main control lever 81 can be manipulated so as to bring the temperature of the issuing spray to that desired. Whenthe temperature of the water has reached a value suitable to the user, he can step into the shower and close door 19, and thereafter can manipulate interior control'leve'rs Stand 87, as-desired.

With the arrangement of manually operable temperature-control levers 81 and 82, as well as distributioncontrol levers 86 and 87, a user of my improved stall shower not only can readily adjust the temperature of the issuing water spray to that most suitable to him but also can regulate the height of the issuing spray soas to cause the same to issue about his legs, or his hips, or his abdomen and chest, or about his face and head. The adjustment of temperature of the water is etfected somewhat in the conventional manner by means of the main valve body 53 with which communicate main hot and cold water pipes '91 and 92, leading from a source of supply, not shown; the outlet of main valve 'body 53 communicating with a mixing chamber 93 by means of pipe connection 94, see 'Fig. 4. "By suitable manipulation of exterior control lever 81, and with distributor control lever 86 open, "the temperature of the water can be adjusted and eanbe felt'by extending the hand within the shower, since the outlet of mixing chamber 93 communicates by means of pipe connection96 with the distributor valve body 97, also see Fig. 4; the latter housing a standard 4-Way rotary valve adapted to establish communication successively with the distribution'pipes 46 to 49 inclusive, as indicated by the showing of Fig. 4.

In Fig. 8 of the annexed drawings, I have shown a sectional elevational view of one of the pipe standards 99 which is open at its top and which, of course, is closed at its bottom by virtue ofits sealed joint with the base 12 of the frame 11. Each'pipe standard 99 is formed with a series or small openings 101 thereon at spaced intervals from .adjacent its bottom toadjacent its top from which jet or needle sprays or water, 'as indicated by the spraylines 102, emanate depending upon the section of the pipe standard that is supplied with water from the water distributionpipes 46 to 49 inclusive through pipe lengths I 46', 47', 48 and 49 which establish communication between pipes 46to 49 inclusive and the standards 99, see Fig. '8 of the drawings. The sections of the pipe standards 99" are defined by battles '100 which are disposed and secured within the standards at different levels thereof, as shown. With this arrangement, the shower user may so manipulate the control lever 86, if on the outside of the frame, or lever 87 if on the inside thereof, to cause the water from mixing-chamber 93 to flow only through distribution pipes '46 and 46 whereby water is supplied only to the lower sections of all pipe standards 99 to spray about the legs of the user. To raise the height of water spray, the user onlyhas to turn control lever 86, or lever.87 as the case may be, to cause the water to'fiow'through distribution pipes 47, 47 whereby the water will emanate from all pipe standards 99 from the sections immediately above the lowest sections thereof, or about the hips of the 'user. Further manipulation of lever 86 .or lever 87 will raise (or lower) the spray from standards 9910 about the chest and head or serially lower. about the hips and legs. Thus, a user may by quick manipulation of lever 87, while inside the shower, moisten his face and chest and immediately throw lever 87 'to cause the water to spray only about his legs while he 'soaps himself about the chest and face. Thereafter he can again'manipulate lever 87 to spray the soap from his chest, face and head, serially raising and lowering the height of the spray sectionally from up and down the pipe standards 99 at will; the sprays of course emanating simultaneously from four directions, vor from the four pipestandards'99 at the corners of the shower.

In Fig. 9 of the drawings I have illustrated a modified embodiment of a pipe standard 99 wherein .a sphere 1030f plastic or similar material'is disposed and which is huoyedup zbyitheipressure of the water contained therein, such sphere 103 serving to restrict water emanation from water opening 101 above the bottom of the sphere as it rides upon the water and dependent upon the water pressure. That is to say, the sphere 103 acts to prevent escape of water from the perforated pipe standard above the sphere at any given line pressure. With this modification, the distribution valve operated by levers 86 and 87 is not used, and the operation of the shower is regulated solely by the pressure in the hot and cold water lines through manipulation of levers 81 or 82, as the case may be, depending upon whether the user is inside or outside of the shower. The four tube water distribution system consisting of tubes 47, 48 and 49 is not used with the system of the embodiment shown in Fig. 9 but, rather, the regulation is effected through the hot and cold valve, the mixing chamber, pipe 96 and pipes 46 and 46.

It is to be understood that the frame 11 is preferably constructed largely of steel or other suitable non-corrosive and preferably rust-resisting metal such as an alloy steel, or aluminum, or the like, except the base 12 which may be fabricated from concrete and cast as an integral unit. Moreover, that transparent panels 56 to 58, 66 to 68 and 77, 78 are all fabricated of glass which may be frosted, in part, if desired.

To dismantle my improved stall shower for ready packaging and transportation, the unions, T-fittings and other pipe connections between the main supply pipes 91, 92 and the main valve body 53, as well as between the four pipe standards 14 and the water distribution pipes 46 to 49 inclusive are removed and assembled together for further use. Thereafter, the closure 19 is removed as a unit from its hinges; the upper panels 66 to 68 inclusive are lifted from the mid-section 13 and frame columns; the mid-section 13 is then taken down leaving the lower panels 56 to 58 inclusive accessible which are successively lifted from the base 12 and corner posts; and thereafter the four columns of frame 11 and the pipe standards 14 removed as units from the base 12. The stall shower can as readily be re-assembled in the reverse order of steps, or substantially in such order.

Another industrial application of my present improvement can be readily embodied in an overhead fire extinguisher system utilizing but one main supply line of cold water as hot water is not required or acceptable in combatting fires. This fire extinguishing exemplification, although not illustrated in the annexed drawings, could be provided with multiple control levers to cut-in overhead water sprays not only from within a given space, such as a basement, but from a number of locations within such a space as well as from outside of such basement or other space. Moreover, the distribution pipes may be so arranged as to efiect the spraying from horizontal areas, rather than vertical sections and such horizontal spraying need not be by sections in juxtapositions. Thus my improvement can be so exemplified as to effect over-head spraying of one or more basement areas and can be also so exemplified as to effect the spraying of two or more difierently located areas or sections of a basement or other space. This exemplification embracing over-head water spraying sectionally is particularly advantageous in warehouses where packaged goods are stored or stacked in multiple areas of the warehouse.

It is to be understood that the appended claims are to be accorded a range of equivalents commensurate in scope with the advance made over the prior art.

I claim:

1. A stall shower comprising a sectional, dismantlable frame including a rectangular base having a column receiving cavity in each of the four corners thereof as well as having a panel receiving channel in the upper face of three of the sides thereof adjacent to its perimeter, a frame column removably mounted in each of said cavities for disposal normal to said base; said frame columns having panel receiving channels therein, a midsection frame unit consisting of three members arranged in right angle relationship; each of said members having panel receiving channels in its upper as well as in its lower face in vertical alignment, panels removably disposed in said channels of said base and said channels of said frame columns and said channels of the lower faces of said members of said midsection unit; said panels defining the lower portions of three walls of the shower, a second group of panels removably fitting said channels of said frame columns as well as removably fitting said channels of the upper faces of said members of said mid-section unit; said second group of panels defining the balance of three walls of the shower, a closure hingedly secured to one of said frame columns and defining the fourth wall of the shower, a pipe standard removably supported on each of said frame columns and disposable normal to said base; each of said pipe standards having a plurality of openings therein at spaced intervals along its length from which jets of water emanate, a plurality of baffles secured within each of said pipe standards dividing said standards vertically into a plurality of sections, manually controlled means for causing a supply of temperature regulated water to be emitted in jet sprays from the openings of all of said pipe standards, and manually controlled means for regulating the height of emission of the jet sprays from said standards.

2. A stall shower comprising a sectional, dismantlable frame including four frame columns at the four corners of the shower, a removably mounted mid-section frame unit; said unit having an interior chamber, a pipe standard supported by each of said frame columns; each of said pipe standards having a plurality of jet openings therein arranged at spaced intervals and from which jet sprays of water may be caused to be emitted, a plurality of bafiles secured within each of said standards at spaced intervals dividing said standards vertically into a plurality of sections, a hot and cold Water valve mounted in said chamber, a water distributor valve mounted in said chamber, hot and cold water pipes communicating with said hot and cold water valve, means establishing communication between said hot and cold water valve and said water distributor valve, a plurality of pipes establishing water communication between said distributor valve and different sections of said pipe standards, manually controlled means connected to said hot and cold water valve operable to supply temperature regulated water to said distributor valve, and manually controlled means connected to said distributor valve for selectively and variably supplying water to different heights of said pipe standards to effect emission of jet water sprays from the openings of all of said standards sectionally and simultaneously.

3. A stall shower as defined in claim 1, and wherein said manually controlled means are dual for effecting operation thereof from both the inside and the outside of the shower.

4. A stall shower as defined in claim 2, and wherein both of said manually controlled means are dual for effecting operation thereof from both the inside and the outside of the shower.

5. A stall shower comprising a sectional, dismantlable frame including a base, a plurality of frame columns removably mounted on said base and disposed normal thereto, a pipe standard supported on each of said frame columns; said pipe standards having a plurality of jet openings therein from which jet sprays of water are caused to emanate, a plurality of bafiles in each of said standards arranged in spaced relationship and dividing each of said standards into a plurality of sections, a mid-section frame unit, water distribution pipes confined within said mid-section unit and communicating with different sections of said pipe standards as well as with a source of temperature regulated water, and manually controlled means for regulating water flow through said pipes selectively and variably to different sections of all of said pipe standards for effecting emission of jet sprays of water of regulated temperature simultaneously from selected sections of all of said pipe standards.

6. A stall shower as defined in claim 5, and wherein said manually controlled means are dual for eifecting operation thereof both from the inside and the outside of the shower.

7. A stall shower as defined in claim 5, and a shoulder on said mid-section unit interiorly of the shower and defining a hand-rail for grasping at the convenience of the shower user.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

